When doctoral student Joy Hendry first visited the Japanese village of Kurotsuchi in the 1970s, little could she have known that her relationship with the community there would span several decades, leading to the formation of lifelong friendships and a connection which endures to this very day.

Now a leading professor and one of the United Kingdom’s most respected experts on Japanese culture and society, Joy invites the reader to join her on a thought-provoking journey to rural Japan as she explains the painstaking work of an anthropologist in the field. Her time in Kurotsuchi offered no shortage of cultural insights and intriguing observations-to say nothing of a few surprising developments along the way!

Meet the families who make up this extraordinary community, learn about their customs and social life, and share in their festivities and family celebrations as well as their times of grief. In An Affair with a Village , accompany Joy as she reveals the many changes that have taken place in the region over the decades, and describes the unique bond she has forged with its remarkable citizens.